Donald Chilton
Vice President, Product Management
WIX Filters (www.wixfilters.com) designs, manufactures and distributes products for automotive, diesel, agricultural, industrial and specialty filter markets. Product lines include oil, air, cabin interior, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks, off-road equipment and manufacturing applications.
For years, fleet maintenance has been tied to the industry’s focus on cleaning up the world through exhaust gas emissions, better fuel economy and improved waste management and, with all eyes on 2017 and beyond, these trends continue.
New legislation from the U.S. EPA and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is scheduled for the beginning of next year through 2018, and requires significant improvements in fuel consumption to help reduce emissions.
In anticipation of these legislative shifts, the largest news to impact fleet maintenance is the American Petroleum Institute (API) new heavy duty diesel engine oil specifications. Almost 10 years have passed since the last new API diesel engine oil category and, since manufacturers are working hard to create cleaner, more efficient engines, new oil specifications are necessary.
As of December 1, 2016, there are now two new categories of specifications: CK-4 and FA-4. CK-4 oils will replace today’s lubricants and will be backwards compatible with all current diesel vehicles, according to Shell.
The FA-4 oils are designed for the new generation of diesel engines to help maximize fuel economy without sacrificing engine protection. These oils, however, will have limited backward compatibility.
ADDED COMPLEXITY
What does this have to do with fleet maintenance? Quite a lot. The new categories add to the complexity of the oil you put into your engine. Some shops like oils that can be used in gasoline and diesel engines, but with these new specifications, dual-purpose oil is yet to be determined.
Current assumptions are that the new oils won’t affect the filters, but what happens when the oil filters interact with oil deposits and buildup in the engines? Will the first oil change need to be on a shorter interval?
Managing the proliferation of spin-ons and cartridges, as fleets get broader and broader, creates a larger infrastructure of raw materials. The downside is complexity could lead to more time spent maintaining your fleet, so it’ll be interesting to watch the learning curve of these new oil specs.
INFORMATION FLOW
Another trend influencing fleet maintenance is the continued rise of electronics and availability of data regarding your fleet. Increasingly, this information is allowing fleets to build more efficient and effective maintenance operations.
Combining this type of data with a comprehensive fleet survey is now more important than ever. The two allow for preventative maintenance and predictive analysis, and that’s paving the way for the future of fleets.
Additionally, this data could have a long-term impact on suggested maintenance intervals. OEM recommendations could shift to more real-time data rather than traditional time and miles. Again, this shift could result in more productive fleets.
Hand in hand with fleet data are GPS advancements. Simply put, GPS tracking helps improve efficiencies in a fleet just as it would help you get to work each day, but it extends beyond that.
We always talk about how important it is to consider how and where you drive when you’re assessing your fleet. GPS statistics can truly shape how you manage your fleet. Choosing the right vehicle to drive through particular geographies during varying seasons could go a long way toward extending the lifecycle of your fleet.
As the industry shifts with the new API oil specifications and anticipated emission legislation, we continue to focus on reducing emissions and fleet maintenance that increases efficiencies. Combined with the ever-changing technological landscape, the maintenance forecast looks promising.
